


Hanging by a Moment

by suseagull04



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Love From OQ | Outlaw Queen Secret Admirer (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29406042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suseagull04/pseuds/suseagull04
Summary: When their career goals led them in different directions in their teens, Regina thought she would never see her best friend, Robin, again. But when he returns to Storybrooke hoping to start a shelter for less fortunate youth, she can't help wondering if this is the second chance she's been waiting for.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 16
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone! This fic is for Julia for Love From OQ 2021. Hope you enjoy it, Julia!

Robin walked the streets of Storybrooke, wondering whether the plans he had for his new life here would come to fruition. He had a dream that he wanted to see come to pass, aspirations that he hoped would make the lives of many in Storybrooke better. However, he would need to seek approval of his plans from the town’s mayor, and if he remembered the woman he had known as a child with any accuracy, he would have an extremely difficult task ahead of him.

As he walked through the town square, pulling his coat tighter around him to ward off the chill of winter as his coat became flecked with flakes of falling snow, he spotted Granny's diner, which had always been his favorite restaurant in town. Suddenly ravenous for a slice of her famous lasagna or one of her delectable burgers, he headed toward the restaurant with a little spring in his step. Some of his best memories of living in this town had happened in this very diner.

The familiar sound of the bell over the door brought back such a strong wave of nostalgia that Robin stopped for a minute to bask in the rush of feelings that had assailed him. The moment was interrupted, however, by a short, older man who muttered, “Coming through,” his coat brushing Robin’s as he stepped aside to let him pass. As he watched the older man, who he recognized as the town handyman, Leroy Grump, sit next to some of his six brothers at the bar, Robin glanced around Granny’s, taking in the fresh coat of blue paint that adorned the walls, that, combined with the familiar chalkboard menu that hung over the bar, spoke of both fond memories and the new things that his years away had brought to the town.

“Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Robin Locksley?” a deep voice said, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to see who had spoken and walked to embrace his longtime friend. John Little was not so little anymore, and in fact towered over him, his dark unruly beard and curly mane of hair a testament to their years of only seeing each other every so often, whenever Robin’s travels would lead him close to the place he had once called home.

“John,” Robin said, smiling, the two friends embracing. With pats on the back they broke apart, and John gestured to the booth where he had been sitting.

“Care to join me?” he asked, and Robin deeply regretted that he had to shake his head and decline.

“I have a meeting with Mayor Mills in twenty minutes,” he told John. “You know her, she won’t respond well to tardiness, especially not from me. Cora Mills was never my biggest fan, after all, and I suspect that that hasn’t changed in the fifteen years since I last saw her.”

A confused expression clouded his friend’s habitually jovial features. “That she won’t,” John readily acknowledged. “However, I think you’re in for a surprise. Mayor Mills isn’t quite the woman you remember.” He looked around. “I see that Roland and Marian aren’t with you?”

Robin nodded. “Our new next-door neighbor, Ashley, has a baby of her own and teaches preschool at Storybrooke Elementary. I enrolled Roland as soon as we moved here. Marian and I both work, so it seemed best. Besides, we both want our son to have a good education.”

John nodded. “Just remember that he’s welcome to stay with his Uncle John anytime.” 

Robin laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“What?” John inquired innocently, but Robin was having none of it. He saw right through his friend’s feigned innocence. 

“If I let you look after my son, he’ll also spend time with his Uncle Will and likely come home stuffed full of sweets and not fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, which will of course make him cranky the next day,” he predicted. “He’s only three, he needs his rest, even if the full day that they make preschoolers and kindergarteners endure every day here suggests otherwise.”

John raised his hands in the air, a gesture of surrender. “Have it your way, then. Just know that the offer is there whenever you need it. After all, starting a shelter isn’t a task for the faint of heart. You’ll have a lot to do both during and outside of business hours to make your dream a reality.”

“I know,” Robin commented. “How will you be able to watch Roland if you’re helping me start the shelter, though?”

“Easy: I’ll entertain the lad while you do all of that boring paperwork,” the burly man proposed. 

Robin shook his head. “Remind me why I’m starting this project with you again?”

“Come on, you know it’ll all be fine, so stop worrying,” John reassured him. “Besides, I think you’re in for a surprise anyway. I suspect that asking for funds isn’t going to be as difficult as you think.”

Robin’s eyebrows rose. “Is there something you’re not telling me? I remember Cora Mills well, I find it really difficult to believe that she’ll let our shelter become a reality without forcing us to fight for the necessary funds to keep it running.”

John smiled mysteriously. “You’ll find out. Now, go. Don’t you have a meeting to get to?”

Robin glanced at his watch, then with a muttered expletive that he wouldn’t ever dare utter in front of his son, he pivoted and sprinted out the door. The mayor of Storybrooke was waiting for him.

********

Robin found the town hall as if no time had passed since he had lived in Storybrooke. He and his best friend had spent many hours running its pristine halls, the stone floors and matching paneling on the walls containing the perfect acoustics for their various antics, always careful to steer clear of her mother’s office. Even her secretary, Leopold, was a fearsome entity to behold. Robin had never wanted to be on his bad side, and was fiercely protective of his best friend, Regina, around the older man, especially when they entered her teen years and Regina started to lose her childlike features and he began to not like the way Leopold looked at her. His protectiveness only grew when Leopold married Cora and he and his daughter, Mary, moved into Regina’s house.

Thoughts of the amazing girl Regina had been made Robin simultaneously smile and wonder for perhaps the millionth time what had happened to them. He and Regina had been nearly inseparable in their youth, so much so that Granny had never worried about his whereabouts because she knew that he was never alone. Regina's father, Henry, was the same way. Robin had always admired the older man and seen him as a second father. Unlike Cora Mills, he had never been anything but loving toward his daughter. Regina had received nothing but love from him, while her mother had sought to control her every movement. Robin couldn't count the number of times over the years that Regina had come to him in tears because of something or other that her mother had done. He had always done what he could to soothe her aching heart, but he had always felt that his efforts were inadequate. Just when he thought that Regina might get a month, a week, or even a single day of peace, her mother would dish out yet another way to control her daughter's life. 

Now, of course, he knew that he had done the best he could under the circumstances. After all, just how much could a ten-year-old, or even a teenager, do against someone in a position of power like Cora Mills? 

All of his memories of the fearsome older woman were the reason why he was so apprehensive now. The task he was trying to undertake was difficult enough. It was very unlikely that things would be any easier if he had to get approval for anything from Cora Mills.

When he opened the door to the mayor's suite of offices, he saw an ebony-haired secretary who he immediately recognized. Even though her hair was much shorter than he remembered, cut into a pixie style instead of in a long braid down her back and the roundness of her face had thinned over the years, he would know the green eyes of Mary Blanchard anywhere.

She was on the phone, so Robin sat down in an adjacent chair to wait for her to be ready to help him. When she finished the phone call, she looked over at him. "Robin, it’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed. 

Robin wasn’t exactly sure he could honestly return the sentiment. Years of this woman trying without success to gain his and Regina’s friendship when her father was part of the reason for Regina’s misery left a negative impression of her that he may be able to shake someday, especially since he, Marian and Roland had moved to Storybrooke, so he’d likely be seeing Mary again. However, today was not that day. But he had to say something, so he finally settled on, “It’s certainly a surprise.”

She smiled. “How can I help you?" she asked, her hands now steepled on the desk in front of her.

Robin stood and walked until he was directly in front of her. "I'm here to see Mayor Mills," he informed her. "I made an appointment about a week ago."

After a moment of typing on her computer, she nodded, confirming his presence there. "Have a seat and I'll let her know you're here," she instructed, and Robin did as she asked, fingers nervously fiddling with the accordion folder on his lap that contained all of the information he had gathered over the last months. 

“Robin?”

The voice of the mayor was so unlike the voice he had been expecting that it took him a moment to realize that he had in fact heard correctly. It was only when she repeated his name, her voice indicating that she saw and understood his disbelief that he dared to lift his head from the papers resting on his lap and meet her gaze. Although her appearance had changed immensely in the two decades since they had last seen each other, he would know those chocolate eyes anywhere. Beaming, he stood and embraced her. “Regina! What are you doing here?” Realizing what he had said, he immediately deduced what was going on, and immediately rectified his erroneous assumption. “Oh, of course, you’re meeting with your mother today too, aren’t you? You must have seen her before me.”

Her laugh and smile were radiant, whether at his words or because of her mother he didn’t know- although he remembered her mother well enough to assume it was the former. “No, I didn’t. Robin, I’m the mayor now.”

“You’re the mayor?” he repeated in disbelief. “But I would have thought after your mother- you always wanted to ride, to raise horses. And why didn’t you reach out and say anything when you saw you had an appointment with me?”

Her smile fell. “A lot has changed since you were last here. We have a lot to catch up on. For now, suffice it to say that after Mother retired, I ran for her position and was elected.” He was relieved to see her grin mischievously. It was apparent that whatever had transpired hadn’t been too painful for her, and for that, he was glad. The woman who had once been his best friend deserved nothing but happiness in her life. “I honestly didn’t see that I had an appointment with you until I walked into the office this morning. By then, it seemed like a good idea to surprise you.”

Robin grinned. That was the Regina he knew: always finding a way to help others. It was one of the many reasons why he was so thankful that she was the mayor now instead of her mother. He was more likely to see his dream become a reality with her at the helm. An idea began to shape itself in Robin’s mind, a way for her to regain a part of her youth she had lost- and a way for them to spend time together that wasn’t business-related. “You certainly did. And I think I know the perfect way for us to reconnect, Are you available this weekend?”

She nodded. “What are we going to do?”

He grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and find out.”

She nodded. “In the meantime, let’s go in my office to discuss the reason you’re here.”

He followed her to her office, noticing as he went that while she hadn’t completely transformed the mayor’s office since her mother’s time in the position, there were subtle signs that Regina had made it her own. The plain walls that had once been filled with nothing but various awards that had been given to Storybrooke over the years were now filled with pictures of its citizens both past and present. Robin smiled, deducing from the change that Regina was everything that a mayor should be, that she cared about the people she governed. 

He followed her into her office, which was professional, but bore personal touches regardless of the purpose of the room. A picture frame rested on her desk that contained a picture that made Robin smile, remembering fond memories. A young Regina sat astride of a chestnut thoroughbred, beaming down at her father, Henry, who held nothing but love and pride in his gaze. 

She sat behind her desk and he followed suit, sitting in the chair across from her. “Now, tell me all about the shelter you want to start,” she prompted, extracting a notebook from her desk and selecting a pen from the collection that was housed in a mug to her right. 

He got out some of the papers that he had brought with him, handing them to her so that she could peruse them. “At Arrows to Hope, my goal is to provide a place for youth of all ages to have a home, to help make their lives better. In addition to providing a home for them, I want to help them with their studies and help them find a direction for their lives through career counseling. Of course, I’ll also provide outings for them to give them the opportunity to experience things that they wouldn’t have a chance to do otherwise. As you can see, that’s the mission of the shelter, to provide more than just housing for youth, but a home, a place where they feel loved and cared for.”

“It’s an admirable goal,” she praised, her smile genuine when she looked up at him. “However, it’s also going to be a lot of work, and as much as I would like to, I can’t help you pay for all of it, you’ll need to pay for a large part of the cost on your own. There’s the building, staff, equipment, monthly bills that come with owning a building, possible repairs…”

“I know,” he reassured her. “And I have savings, I’ll have that money for some of it. But don’t you think you could give a larger amount, seeing as it’s such a worthy cause?” He flashed his most dazzling smile in her direction, one where his dimples were on full display. Marian had admitted time and time again that his dimples were her greatest weakness, and though Regina was nothing more than an old friend to him, he hoped that they would have the same effect on her as well.

She sighed. “To be honest, I need to look to see what funds we have currently for this type of thing first. I want to help you, Robin, I really do, because you’re right, it is a worthwhile cause, one that I know is close to your heart. But unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees, so even if I can, it’ll only be a limited amount.”

“That’s fine, I understand you have a budget,” he assured her, his heart giving a little pang at the fleeting reminder of his past. “As I said, I have savings, but wanted to supplement them with as many funds as you can give me.”

She nodded, seeming lost in thought. After a moment, she asked, “Did you have a building in mind?” 

He nodded. “The old mayor’s mansion that I heard your mother moved out of, that white house on Mifflin Street- unless you live in your childhood home now, Madam Mayor?”

She shook her head. “I saw no need to live in that giant house all alone, so no, I live down the street in a much smaller place.”

He nodded, noting that she had let slip that she was alone. Why she had done so, he had no idea, but he did find that knowledge incredibly hard to believe. Even though he was in love with another woman and viewed Regina only as his best friend, he had to admit that she was a beautiful woman that any man would be lucky to have by his side. 

Next thing he knew, she was handing his things back to him and telling him, "I'll see you Saturday. What time, and what should I wear?"

He chuckled. They had always surprised each other as children, and he was going to continue that well-established tradition now, even though they were both adults. "You'll just have to wait and see. As for the time, I’m not sure yet. We should probably exchange numbers and I’ll just text you a time when I know.”

She nodded. “That works for me. I don’t have any plans, so I’ll be free all day.”

He grinned. “You don’t have any mayoral duties to attend to?” The Regina he remembered had always been a workaholic, and while he was sure that some things about her had changed, he didn’t think that that aspect of her personality would be any different now that she was an adult. In fact, that diligence may have been the very thing that led her to become mayor in the first place.

She sighed. “I’m sure there’s work I could be doing- there always is. However, I’ll put it all aside for you. After all, it’s been  _ two decades _ , Robin. If that doesn’t call for a day off, what does?”

He smiled. “Well, I’m honored. The Regina I knew would have never taken a break from what she needed to do just for an old friend.”

She laughed. “You’re more than just an old friend, Robin. Once upon a time, you were my best friend. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never found a friendship quite like ours.”

His eyebrows rose. “You don’t have any friends?” He found that hard to believe. Yes, she may have had a witch for a mother, but Regina was far from an unpleasant person to be around. 

“Oh, I do,” she assured him. “Mary Margaret, for example.”

He found that hard to believe, and his skepticism showed itself in his voice. “I noticed that she’s your secretary, but assumed at the time that your mother had put her in the position as a favor to Leopold. Your stepsister is your friend?” He remembered that the two women hadn’t gotten along when they first met, a condition that was probably a side effect of her father, Leopold, marrying Regina’s mother less than a year after Regina’s own father, Henry, passed away. 

She laughed. “As I said, a lot of things have changed.” She opened the desk drawer in front of her and took out a white business card from a stack that Robin assumed was there. If he knew the woman who had once been his best friend at all, he would be correct in assuming that every inch of the space she had available to her was likely organized, with all of her belongings in their rightful place. Regina had never been able to stand when he would use something of hers when they were younger, then put it back in a place where it didn’t belong. 

She turned the card over and wrote something, then handed it to him. “Here you go. I typically only put my professional information on this card, by I wrote my cell phone number on the back. Whenever you’ve finalized our plans for Saturday, just send me a text and let me know, okay?”

He nodded, taking the card from her. “I’ll send you a text before that too, so you have my number, all right?”

She nodded. “Sounds good.” Suddenly, she was back on his side of her desk with her arms wide open, and he went into them gladly. He had missed this, the ease of their friendship. They had both always been prone to showing their affection in a physical way, and he couldn’t be more thankful that although other things had changed over the years for both of them, this one thing had remained the same. 

When they separated, with a wave and a reiterated promise to text her when he next got a chance, Robin walked out of Regina’s office with a spring in his step. With his best friend by his side, he knew that there was nothing that could stop his dream from becoming a reality. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by one of Julia's manips, which you can find in the tweet for this chapter.

At last it was Saturday, and Regina couldn’t be more thankful for it. At the same time though, she was nervous. For one thing, Robin  _ still  _ hadn’t told her what they were doing that day, only what time to meet him at Granny’s at lunchtime. She had thrown half of her closet onto her bed in a frenzy, trying to figure out what to wear for a day when she didn’t know what she would be doing. What did someone wear to an outing with their best friend when they hadn’t seen him in fifteen years?

She knew she wouldn’t even be worrying about this if the best friend in question wasn’t Robin. After all, as much as she loved Mal, she didn’t second-guess every clothing choice she made when she saw her. It also probably didn’t help that the last time she had seen him, she had done something  _ incredibly  _ stupid, something that she had regretted every day since. 

At the same time, though, she needed to pull herself together. Yes, she had been in love with Robin Locksley, her best friend, for as long as she could remember, but she had to remind herself that she hadn't seen the man in decades. What if Robin had turned into someone who was horrible, conceited and rude instead of the sweet, selfless boy she had once played with for hours on end?

_ That won't happen _ , she thought, remembering the reason they had reconnected in the first place. She couldn't imagine someone who was trying to start a shelter for troubled kids and teens having a selfish bone in their body. Even without recalling his upbringing, Regina knew that what he wanted to do in Storybrooke would be well-suited to both the town and his personality. She could imagine Robin being great with kids of all ages, and her heart ached to think about what might have happened if he had stayed in Storybrooke, if her last desperate attempt to ask him to stay hadn't gone horribly wrong. 

It seemed as if he had forgotten all about that day at the airport, however, and she sternly told herself that she needed to forget that that moment had ever happened too. Her last actions before they had parted ways had clearly meant nothing to Robin, and she should act accordingly. The sooner she forgot that she had ever loved Robin Locksley, the better. 

At last, she settled on a pair of black slacks and a red blouse. Unlike in her childhood, she didn't own anything that other people would call "casual." Being mayor hadn't given her many opportunities to dress down, so when her old jeans and t-shirts had become tattered and frayed, she hadn't done anything about replacing them. Why would she? Her mother had always taught her that being mayor meant being the face of the people, and that meant that  _ you can't go gallivanting off on that horse of yours, Regina. The mayor must be nothing but the picture of poise and grace, and you're as wild as that animal of yours when you ride him. A lady must be more composed, especially a lady in a position of power. _

She sighed. She had wished so many times over the years that Robin had never left, that she had never pushed him away with her last actions, the actions of a foolish girl who had been madly in love. Maybe if she hadn't, things would have been different. She would have never run for office, she would have fought to keep her horse instead of letting Mother get away with selling him, and most importantly, she would have had Robin in her life for the last decade and a half instead of struggling to find friendships that could never fill the void of the one she had lost.

_ All right, Regina, that’s enough _ , she scolded herself firmly.  _ Seeing Robin again was just like it was in the past- it was as if no time had passed since you said goodbye to him and nothing had changed. Clearly, he doesn’t remember what you did when you came to the airport and he’s moved on from any awkwardness that would have caused, which means you should too. As Mother always says, love is weakness. _

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. Though Cora Mills had retired from the mayor’s position, she certainly hadn’t retired from exerting control over Regina’s life. For years now, the older woman had taken her motto to heart and set Regina up with all manner of senators, representatives, and other wealthy citizens of their small town (which were few and far between, making Regina question her mother’s methods even further). But Cora Mills valued status and wealth above all else. Nothing but the best would be suitable for her only daughter. So Regina knew that no matter how much she may pine for one man- the man she had once longed for when they were both so young that they barely understood what love was- her mother would never relent, so she should just give up her dreams of having Robin see that she was the right woman for him right now. Otherwise, she would risk needless heartache.

At the same time, though, despite her mother’s efforts, Regina was a romantic. The possibility of the two of them finally getting together after so many years of friendship was an idea that she wouldn’t give up on easily. Although she knew that she needed to get to know the man Robin had become, one meeting with him had shown her that though she was sure he had grown up, just as she had, there were still many signs of the Robin Locksley she used to know. She wasn’t the naive high school girl she once was, but at the same time, she  _ knew  _ that if they continued to reconnect, Robin would fall in love with her as much as she had fallen for him all those years ago. Because if she was being honest with herself, she had never stopped.

Looking in the mirror, she knew that she was the very embodiment of sophistication. If this didn’t convince Robin to continue reconnecting and eventually, maybe, give them a chance, she didn’t know what would.

She walked down the steps, grabbing her keys and purse on the way out the door. She didn’t know what Robin had planned for them, but she did know one thing: whatever it was, she would enjoy it.

Five minutes later, she parked close to Granny’s diner and got out of the car. She saw Robin waiting for her on a bench outside of the restaurant, and she couldn’t help admiring him as she came closer, a smile warming the face that some said reminded them of her mother's. She could see under his coat that he was wearing a blue shirt that perfectly matched the color of his eyes, and the jeans he had on fit in all the right places. She pulled her own black coat more tightly around her, a part of her suddenly hoping that whatever he had planned was an indoor activity, when he beckoned toward a rusty-looking red Jeep. She followed him, pulling the car door open and sitting inside before she even said a word to him. Once she was buckled though, she turned to him and asked, "I thought we were having lunch?"

He nodded. "We are. You trust me, don't you?"

She smiled. They had grown up watching  _ Aladdin _ together, and he had always loved the moments when the titular character would ask Agrabah's princess the same question. From the moment they first watched the movie all those years ago, he had applied the same question to everything they did, never telling her details about the adventures he had in mind, simply holding out a hand and asking if she trusted him before she inevitably followed him to the location of their next adventure. Though  _ Robin Hood _ was his favorite Disney movie, he had always taken the concept of being a diamond in the rough to heart. "Of course."

She was grateful she was sitting at that moment, because his smile, made irresistible by his dimples, made her knees go weak. "Well then, let's go."

She returned her attention to the road before them, surprised when they drove not to another spot in town, but toward the forest that surrounded it. Then her eyes grew wide as she suddenly remembered what resided just outside of town in this direction, and she turned to him, a humiliating lump in her throat when she asked, "We're going riding?"

He nodded, and her heart soared as she threw her arms around him and he held her close. She had done her best to steer clear of anything to do with horses once Mother had sold Rocinante, but her heart had always yearned for those wide-open spaces that could be traversed with rapid speed, the freedom and sense of coming alive that galloping across a field gave her. "I remembered that there had once been a riding school out here, so I talked to the owner, and he said that they do still let people take the horses out for specified periods of time. So yes, I packed a picnic, and we're going riding for a few hours today." 

Her heart fluttered at the kindness of his gesture. There was no doubt in her mind now that though he may have changed some in their years apart, for the most part, the kind, thoughtful boy she had known was still there, his beardless face replaced with just enough stubble and his muscles more pronounced- likely from his work, she realized, remembering what he had said he would be doing when he went away. 

A man came out to greet them. Regina had to admit that he was handsome, his chestnut hair offset by eyes the color of lapis lazuli- similar to Robin’s, she noticed. 

"Robin," the owner greeted them. "It's good to see you. This must be your friend."

"Yes," Robin said, gesturing toward her. "Daniel, this is Regina."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm looking forward to this. I used to ride, but it's been a long time."

He smiled, his eyes lighting up to express his enthusiasm. "You used to ride? It's like riding a bike, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it again in no time. Besides, I already promised Robin that I'd give you both my best horses. No need to worry about falling off with them."

She laughed. "I doubt it's that easy. I'm sure the horses are wonderful though."

"Shall we?" Robin asked, gesturing ahead of him toward the stable. Smiling, she followed him into the stables, where she found horses of all colors and sizes in separate stalls. The smell of hay permeated the air, and she breathed in deeply, savoring the reminder of her youth, when her mother used to complain that the smells of manure, apples, and oats clung to her like a second skin. She herself had never minded it, knowing that it was a byproduct of an activity she loved. 

Daniel led them over to adjoining stalls, where two gorgeous mustangs stood side by side. Regina let out a soft "oh," their beauty taking her breath away. 

Robin smiled. "I thought you'd like them. I told Daniel you used to love them."

She nodded. "Rocinante was a different breed, but yes, I did always love mustangs. I don't know how I'm going to mount one though," she acknowledged, laughing.

"Don't worry, I have a stool," Daniel assured her, bringing the item in question out from where it had been residing in a corner. As Regina held out her hand for the horse to sniff and she nudged her hand and she started petting her, he opened the stall door and led the horse out, handing the reins to Regina before turning and walking over to a far wall, where tack of all shapes and sizes hung. He held them out to her. "Normally I wouldn't dream of asking guests to do this. I like making sure the horses trust who's working with them. But since you grew up with horses, would you like to do the honors?"

She nodded, holding her hand out. Daniel handed her first the bridle, then the saddle, and as she saddled the horse, she spoke soothing words, not wanting this majestic steed to be spooked unnecessarily. 

At one point, she looked over at Daniel and Robin, the latter of whom was having his horse saddled by the former. Both of them were smiling at her. "You're a natural," Daniel praised, and she felt a smile creep over her face. Praise from her mother had been hard to come by, so she had cherished every kind word anyone close to her, like her father or Robin, had ever said to her. That Daniel had said something meant something to her, even though she had only met him that day. 

Once both horses were saddled, they mounted them, the picnic Robin had packed transferred to saddlebags on the horses’ backs, and set off. Regina suspected that she knew where they were going, and in the meantime, she relished the feeling of being on a horse again. It had been years since she had ridden, but Daniel was right, it was just like riding a bike: once you learned, the motions were so instinctive that you never forgot. It helped that the mustang she was riding was a gentle creature. She knew that with her skill that han laid dormant for so long and the horse’s temperament, the ride would be an enjoyable one.

Her guess for what their destination would be turned out to be correct when they emerged into a small clearing where a log that was the perfect size for two people to sit on comfortably rested on the ground. Robin dismounted and began to unpack the bags, and Regina began to do the same, looking around her at the familiar scenery.

“You remembered,” she said, a smile on her face. While it seemed that Robin had clearly forgotten about the colossal mistake she had made on the day he left, it was obvious that some things about their friendship had stayed with him. They had spent so many hours in this very spot. While it had always been a place where they would meet to just talk and spend time together, it was also the place where one or the other of them would automatically go if they were upset about something. Regina could remember many times when she had come here sobbing over the latest unjustified, unkind words her mother had dished out, and Robin had arrived soon after. He had always had a sixth sense when it came to her distress, had always known when she needed a shoulder to cry and had given that to her more often than she would ever think she deserved. Apart from her father, he was the kindest person she had ever known. 

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. The way Mary was so sweet to people that it was almost nauseating was reminiscent of a Disney princess, and her hope speeches, while infuriating to Regina, were the stuff of legends. It was part of the reason she hadn’t gotten along with her stepsister for the first several years of their acquaintance. For the first years of that challenging time, however, Robin had always been there for her. When he left, her world had seemed like the darkest place, devoid of both of the people she loved most. The summer before she left for college had been a battle for survival, each day a fresh wave that was filled with a combination of grief and loneliness. 

“Of course,” he replied, a soft smile on his face. “How could I forget? I’m pretty sure we spent more time here than we did in our own homes.”

She grinned. “We did.” Suddenly, a memory resurfaced, and she laughed, asking him, “Remember that year that you were convinced that it was a good idea to try to scare me?”

He pouted. “It never worked.”

She smirked. It hadn’t. “Of course not.” Just as he had always known when she needed him most, Regina had always had a sixth sense about knowing when Robin was near. It was more than just hearing a twig snap underneath his feet, or leaves rustle as he moved a branch aside. It was as if the innate sense that always alerted him to her distress also allowed her to know where he was, even before she smelled his pine scent. She had noticed when they hugged a few days ago after so long apart that that same scent still clung to him, and she had been grateful for it, taking a minute to indulge before she had encouraged them to return to the reason for the meeting he had requested. 

“How did you always know?” he asked now, clearly curious. “I was always quiet, so it wasn’t that.”

She smiled, praying that a blush wasn’t creeping over her cheeks. “I guess you’ll never know.” She wasn’t about to reveal that particular secret, not when he clearly didn’t remember what had transpired between them on the day he left. She was determined that she was going to make this a fresh start for them, even if it was like no time had passed since they had regularly seen each other- even if it broke her heart to do it. She could be friends with this man she had loved for as long as she could remember- couldn’t she? Determined to make that goal a reality, she requested, “Tell me about the years since I’ve seen you. I’m sure you’ve accomplished more than me in the past fifteen years.”

“I don’t know about that,  _ Madam Mayor _ ,” he said, emphasizing the title that had been hers for the past two years. “Seems like you’ve had a lot happen in your life as well. What changes have you made to Storybrooke since I’ve been away?”

She shook her head. “Nothing worth mentioning- yet.” Thinking of her biggest dream for their town- that she knew was his as well- she added, “The primary goal that I have for this town, you’ve actually already started making a reality.”

His eyes shone. “Really?”

She nodded. “Really. As mayor, I see so many children suffering- adults too. I want to do what I can for them, and your idea seems ideal, exactly the type of thing Storybrooke needs.” 

“It’s always been a dream of mine as well, as I’m sure you can imagine,” he told her. “In fact, that’s what brought my girlfriend Marian and I together.”

A bucket of ice-cold water doused the fire for him that had just begun to rekindle in her heart. “Girlfriend?” she asked, trying to appear less affected by the news than she was. “How long have you two been together?”

“Five years,” he informed her. “We even have a son- Roland.” He fished in his pocket for his phone, and with the click of a few buttons, she was looking at the most adorable child she had ever seen, with curls the color of cocoa and eyes that were even darker. 

She was going to tell him just how cute his son was, but before she got the chance, she heard a rustling in the trees, which Robin seemed to hear as well. They both stood to investigate, scanning the area around them for any other signs that they weren’t alone. Finally, Regina caught sight of a pair of eyes that were an even darker brown than her own, so opaque that if she hadn’t known any better, she would have sworn they were black. “Robin, look,” she whispered, not wanting to startle what she could now see through the brush was a little girl who was maybe three years old. 

Robin came to stand by her, and she nodded toward the child in the trees. His hand came to rest on hers, a subtle movement that she knew was done partly to not alarm their observer. He walked toward the trees slowly, calling out in a gentle voice, “You can come out now. We promise we won’t hurt you.”

The leaves in the bush rustled, and Regina could just barely see the little girl shake her head. She held out her hands. “We promise. We just want to help you.”

Suddenly, they heard the sound of something banging against wood, and Regina and Robin both spun around to see that a boy had their basket slung over his arm and was running into the trees. Regina immediately deduced that the girl had possibly been meant as a distraction, and she mentally cursed her stupidity. At the same time though, it was likely that these children needed their help. Her heart soared and broke in equal measure- breaking because these kids were much too young to have to fend for themselves, and soaring because she knew that she had a chance to help them with the dream that she and Robin had only just started to make a reality. 

Robin leapt onto his mustang, Regina right behind him, hoisting herself into the saddle in front of him. She glanced around for the little girl who was hiding in the bushes, but it seemed that with all the commotion, she had vanished, and Regina groaned. She had truly wanted to help this girl, and the boy too. But that wouldn’t be possible if they ran away from her. 

As Robin urged the horse to chase the boy who had taken their lunch, his arms came around Regina, and although these were unusual circumstances, she had to admit that his arms around her felt so strong, his biceps muscular as they held her in place in front of him, ensuring that should anything go awry, she wouldn’t fall off.

They galloped through the forest, and Regina wasn’t surprised when it took them no time at all to catch up to the boy who had interrupted their afternoon of reconnecting.

When they were level with the teenager, she heard the  _ thump  _ of two bodies lying on the ground. She quickly took the reins and halted the horse, then turned around to see that the boy that Robin now had pinned to the ground seemed to be no older than fifteen. His brown hair was ruffled, his eyes wild, and she knew immediately that this boy, and the little girl with him, needed their help… if they would let her and Robin help them, that is. 

“Get off me!” the boy demanded, fists raised to try to fight Robin off him.

Robin held up his hands, palm toward the boy. From what Regina could see of his profile, he was trying to remain as calm as possible to not frighten the teenager. “I don’t want to hurt you. My only intention is to try to help you, if you’ll let me. I’ll let you go if you promise not to run away. We won’t call the authorities, we just want to help you.”

At the sound of the word “we” and the resulting implication that Robin wasn’t alone, the boy’s eyes darted to the side to meet hers. She didn’t know what exactly came over her when their gazes locked, but she felt this sudden indescribable  _ feeling  _ wash over her, a combination of so many different emotions that she didn’t even know where to start analyzing them. She only knew one thing: she was meant to be in this boy’s life, no matter what the cost. 

It was immediately clear, though, that the boy didn’t feel the same way she did. “You’re not going to involve the authorities?” he repeated with a scoff. “I know who she is! She’s the mayor! There’s no way she won’t call the cops on me!”

She held out empty hands to the boy just as Robin had, hoping he would notice that she wasn’t holding her phone, ready to call David, the sheriff. "I won't, I promise. See? I'm not holding my phone, it's in the saddlebags." She glanced over quickly to make sure the horses were all right and hadn't been spooked by what was happening around them. They were still standing where she and Robin had tied them to two adjacent trees, thoroughly unfazed by what the humans around them were doing. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the fact that these horses had clearly had riders other than the two of them, many of them likely children. Only an abundance of time spent with the younger generation would have prepared these horses for commotion like what they were currently witnessing. 

Reassured, her attention returned to Robin and the boy. He still seemed skeptical, if the way his brows were furrowed was any indication. "That's what all the authorities say, and then they turn you over to foster homes, separate you from your family. That's exactly what happened to Nicholas and Ava, and I won't let it happen to me and Leia. We may not have the same parents, but I promised her mom I would take care of her, and I need to keep that promise. She's counting on me."

Regina's heart broke at the boy's words, and glancing at Robin's pained expression, she could tell that he felt the same way. Assuming that Leia was the little girl they had seen, she promised, "I'll do everything I can not to separate you." It wouldn't be easy- after all, she would have to find a safe place for them to stay, and technically, she was supposed to put them in the foster system. "You both can stay with me until I find you a home." Robin nodded at her logical plan. She doubted that he would let her do it alone though. He had been named after a thief who stole from the rich to give to the poor, after all. He would want to help these children as much as she did.

The boy considered her offer for another minute, clearly trying to discern if she was lying to him or not. She kept a warm and inviting smile on her face, her hands clasped in front of her, hoping that he saw that she only had good intentions and only wanted to help him and the little girl he was protecting so fiercely. 

Finally he gave them a curt nod. "Okay, we’ll go, just so Leia has some food and a place to sleep. But if you hurt either of us or separate us, I'll make you both regret it."

She nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it." Realizing that she hadn’t asked yet and wanting to start off on the right foot, she held out her hand. “I’m Regina, and this is my friend Robin. What’s your name?” 

He took a hesitant step toward her and put his hand in hers for her to shake it. “Henry.”

Once he had shaken the hands of both adults, Robin rubbed his hands together. "Now where did our little dryad go?"

“I’ll get her, don’t worry,” Henry said. He called out, “Leia, where are you?”

Rustling in the bushes surrounding the clearing alerted them to her location, and Regina prayed that her next words wouldn’t frighten her and make her run away again. “It’s all right, sweetheart, we promise we won’t hurt you.” 

“It’s okay, Leia,” Henry said. He glanced at Robin and Regina. “I think they might be okay, that they want to help us.”

“Don’t you want to sleep in a nice warm bed again?” Regina asked. “I have lots of very cozy blankets and soft pillows. Plus, everyone says I’m a really good cook.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robin nod fervently in agreement as the little girl’s eyes seemed to grow bigger. “She really does. Even when we were younger, she always brought the best treats to class for everyone’s birthdays.”

“When I was allowed to make them,” Regina muttered. Her mother had been strict, and that wasn’t more true than when she regulated Regina’s diet. 

The mention of food seemed to have coaxed the little girl out of the trees where she was hiding. “Do you know how to make lasagna?” she asked, her head cocked to the side, clearly still unsure if she should trust these strangers or not.

Robin and Regina glanced at each other, grinning, and Regina nodded. “It’s my favorite food,” she told the younger girl, and Robin nodded, chuckling.

“Whenever Granny used to make it for us, Regina would always get the biggest slices and insist that she should have all of the leftovers,” he told the kids, making Regina smile fondly at the memory. 

“I did,” she admitted. “I thought that I had to have it. It is my favorite meal, after all.”

“I like big piece too,” their new friend admitted shyly as she finally stepped out into the light. Regina’s heart broke at her disheveled appearance: torn and dirty clothes, with dirt on her face and hands as well. 

She reached out to her, hoping that she would come to her. She sighed with relief when she did, and she picked her up, settling her on her hip. “What do you say we go to my house, and I’ll give you some lunch, and we’ll make some lasagna for dinner?” she asked. She suspected that Robin had wanted to spend more time together, but they had all the time in the world for that. And given his past, she didn’t think that he would mind holding off on their plans for a little while, not when it seemed that Henry and Leia needed their immediate attention.

The little girl nodded eagerly, and Regina led her over to the horses. Robin mounted his horse, and she lifted Leia up so she was sitting in front of him. Her horse would be carrying herself and Henry. 

As the four of them left the clearing where Regina and Robin had spent so much of their early years together, Regina knew that she was entering a new chapter of her life. She couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for her and the other three people around her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 3! Again, Julia’s manip that inspired this chapter (and, to a degree, the whole fic) can be found on my tweet for this chapter!

Regina spent much of the next week welcoming Leia and Henry into her home. There were clothes and a carseat to buy, and of course she had to decorate two of the spare rooms in her home for them. Leia wanted a room with lots of fairy tale creatures, so she spent their first weekend in her home painting a fairy tale forest on her walls (aided, thankfully, by Robin, who had always been more artistic than her). While she was busy, she trusted Henry to look after Leia- after all, if he had been her sole caretaker for any length of time, she could rely on him to watch her for the hours that she and Robin were painting the little girl’s room. 

As she began to get to know the child and teenager, she marveled at how different they were. While Leia was vivacious and sweet and easily trusted her, Henry was more reserved. Regina knew from years helping teenagers like him that a life spent in foster homes with people who wanted to help children one day and sent them packing the next was more difficult than she could ever imagine, and she tried her best to convince the boy to open up to her. She had hoped that the prospect of getting to choose the decor for his own room would persuade him to open up to her a little- surely, he would want to seize the opportunity to choose something of his own. However, he remained close-lipped on the subject, and after a few days of trying to get him to open up to her, she knew that she had to try a different tactic. She was starting to think that the only reason he had agreed to let her help them was just so Leia was better cared for.

One day, she stopped by the library on the way home from work. It was close to the time that they closed, so she went up to the reference desk, where a brunette whose hair was pulled back into a ponytail was sitting behind the desk.

“I know you close soon, so can you help me find books on homeless kids?” she asked. She knew that she could just ask Robin about the subject- after all, he had been working with those less fortunate for over a decade before moving to Storybrooke with his son and had once been homeless himself. However, she was hoping that by consulting the library’s collection, she would be able to find something that had been written from the point of view of someone who had lived through that situation. She wanted to understand Henry better and hoped that the books would steer her in the right direction. 

“Yes, of course,” the librarian, whose name tag declared that her name was Belle, readily agreed. She came out from behind the desk, walked over to the nonfiction section and started pulling out books. 

Noting what section they were in- nonfiction, instead of the biographies she probably needed- Regina requested, “Can you include some biographies of people who were homeless as well?”

“Of course,” Belle readily agreed. “That’s an admirable subject to pursue, Madam Mayor.”

She smiled at the compliment and shrugged, trying to keep her humility intact. “What can I say? It’s close to my heart.” She knew that what she was saying was true- after all, her heart always broke whenever she saw someone homeless on the street, especially if, like Henry and Leia, that person was a child. At the same time, however, she was trying to foster both trust that she cared about important issues and acknowledge that she didn’t know everything. “But I’m still learning all I can on the subject, so I came to ask for your help.”

“Of course,” Belle nodded. She typed on a nearby computer for a moment, and Regina knew she was searching the library’s online records to discover books that would be as useful to her as possible. The librarian wrote something on a slip of paper and stood. “Follow me.”

They walked toward the biographies and Belle started collecting books. The stack she handed Regina was sizable considering the subject, and Regina took them in one by one. She was pleasantly surprised by how many relevant biographies and autobiographies the library had in its collection. 

Once Belle had checked the books out for her, she headed home. She had left  to Henry's care, as usual, and she found the two of them playing a game when she got home. 

"What are all those?" Henry asked curiously, nodding at the books under her arms.

"Books," she answered, then clarified, "Biographies."

He nodded, then his attention returned to the game he was playing with Leia. Regina set the books and her bags down in her home office, changed, then came out to ask Leia and Henry, "What would you two like for dinner?"

She received a non-committal grunt from Henry in response, while Leia suggested excitedly, "Lasagna?"

Regina fought back a smile, while all she wanted to do was burst out laughing. She walked over to where the little girl was sitting and asked, “You want lasagna, huh?”

“Yeah!” she nodded rapidly, her movements so reminiscent of a bobblehead that Regina had to remind herself that she hadn’t seen many bobbleheads in her life, if in fact she had seen any at all, to stop herself from laughing. 

“Well, I think if we have lasagna tonight someone is going to turn into a piece of lasagna!” she teased, reaching out suddenly to tickle the younger girl.

She giggled madly, ducking her head to block Regina’s primary target: her neck. “No, Gina! I’m not a piece of lasagna!” 

“Well, I think to make sure that doesn’t happen, we should have something else tonight,” Regina suggested. They had already had lasagna twice that week, including the night that she and Henry had come to stay with her. Suddenly, she had an idea. Yes, she hadn’t managed to connect well with Henry yet, but every boy his age loved food, right? “What’s your favorite meal, Henry?”

The older boy sighed. “You can’t bribe me to get me to like you just by making my favorite food.”

“I know that,” she told him gently. “But I still want to know the answer. I want to get to know you, and I want you to be happy here.”

“Just how long will we be here, though?” he burst out, while Leia covered her ears, clearly not a fan of confrontation, especially when it was between two people she cared about. “You’ll be just like the others, offering us somewhere to stay for now, but ready to put us back in the system at the first available opportunity. You don’t actually care about us, you only want to make us think you care.”

“Nuh uh!” Leia denied vehemently, making Regina’s heart swell with how much she was standing up for her. “Gina just wants to help us!”

Not wanting the two younger people to fight, Regina soothed, “Easy, Leia, it’s okay. I understand why Henry’s acting the way he is, and he has every right to feel that way.” She turned her gaze to the teenager. “But I mean what I say when I say that I do want to do everything I can to help you, and that includes getting to know you. After all, how can I find the perfect home for you if I don’t know what that is?”

“I guess that makes sense,” he murmured. 

“So? What’s the verdict?” Regina asked. 

His gaze met hers, his eyes hopeful. “Can we get burgers from Granny’s? I like Thanksgiving dinner too and chicken and dumplings, but I’m hungry now.”

She grinned, a glint in her eye, all the while making a mental note to remember his favorite meals for the future. “I promise I can make burgers much better than Granny. Are you willing to try mine instead?”

He scoffed. “You really think you can make lasagna  _ and  _ burgers better than Granny? Did you go to culinary school before you were mayor?”

Leia cried, “Henry, that’s mean!”, but Regina just shook her head. This was just another example of Henry challenging her, making her prove over and over again that she was willing to put in the effort to get to know him. While she suspected that it would get old eventually, she would show patience outwardly until Henry felt that she had earned his trust and do whatever she could to earn it. “No, but I have picked up a few tips and tricks over the years. Other than being mayor, cooking is one of the things I like to do best.”

“Oh,” Henry responded quietly, looking down at his plate. “I guess you can make burgers then.”

“Thank you,” Regina told him graciously. She began pulling out ingredients, thankful that she kept a variety of meat in the freezer at all times so she could make burgers with last-minute notice. 

She turned to the two younger members of the household, who had resumed their game now that the question of what they would be having for dinner had been settled. “Cheeseburgers, or regular hamburgers?”

“Cheese please!” they chorused.

Opening the fridge again, she read off the types of cheese she had that would go well on a burger, not wanting Henry to be disappointed if he didn’t get the brand of cheese that he wanted. “I have cheddar, provolone, Colbi Jack, feta, gouda, parmesan, mozzarella, burrata…”

His eyes when she glanced his way were saucers. “Do you make macaroni and cheese every day or something?” he asked incredulously. “How do you have that much cheese?”

She laughed. She wasn’t quite sure if he thought she was crazy or not, but his astonished face told her everything she needed to know about how he felt in that moment. “No, I just like cheese and include it in my recipes a lot. So what’ll it be?”

“Can we have mozzarella?” he asked. “Burrata is my favorite, but I don’t think that would melt on a burger. It would all just fall off and be nothing but messy.”

“I agree,” Regina told him. “And yes, we can have mozzarella on our burgers.”

With that settled, she returned to the task at hand. She shaped each hamburger into the desired circle using a mold she had for that exact purpose. Next, she sprinkled seasoning on each burger, hoping that Henry liked burgers that were anything but plain. She liked adding flavor to her meals as much as she could.

Once the cheese had melted on each burger, she brought them to the table, quickly grabbing buns on her way. Once condiments were laid out as well, she told both of her houseguests to dig in, watching Henry nervously the whole time. Would the key to winning his trust really be as simple as making him one of his favorite meals?”

He put barbeque on his burger, then closed his eyes as he chewed slowly, almost pensively, Regina thought. She hoped that his attention to detail would mean a favorable verdict on her cooking skills, but only time would tell. 

“Well?” she asked when he had swallowed the bit that had been in his mouth. “What do you think?”

He nodded, “It’s really good! Much better than Granny’s.”

“See, I told you,” she smirked. 

“Are you sure you’ve never taken cooking classes?” he asked, clearly in disbelief that she could cook as well as she did and not have any formal training.

She shook her head. “Nope, never. I did always want to, though, along with other things.” Which reminded her of something. Ever since the day she had met Leia and Henry, she had wanted to call Daniel to set up another riding session. She had loved being on horses again and wanted to do it more regularly- or as much as she could, anyway, with her mayoral duties and taking care of Henry and Leia. She also thought it might be a good idea to get to know Daniel better, maybe go on a date with him. He was handsome enough, and after the devastating blow that was finding out that Robin was seeing the mother of his child, she wanted to move on in the hopes that spending time with someone else would help her get over Robin, because clearly, that dream was never going to become reality.

One good thing had come from that conversation though: Robin telling her about his son, Roland. While it had been soul-crushing to find out that they had a child together because she didn’t want to split up his son’s family (and wouldn’t do it anyway because she was his  _ friend _ , she kept reminding herself sternly). Instead of being sad that Robin was already taken, because it was obvious that he hadn’t changed at all in their years apart, she tried to focus on looking forward to meeting Roland Locksley. She had seen pictures of the little boy, who she had found out was Leia’s age. She knew that although he was the spitting image of his mother, he had his father’s dimples and characteristics, and although she had enjoyed hearing about him, she was looking forward to experiencing that in person- even if that meant that she would have to meet Marian as well.

She forced herself to refocus her attention on Henry and Leia. She seemed to have won Henry over a little with the burgers he had prepared, but he still seemed to be more reserved than she would like. Even if she found a home for him and Leia and she didn’t see them as often anymore, she wanted to build their trust in her so that once they moved out and no longer lived with her, they knew they had someone to turn to if things went awry. 

“You should’ve, this is really good!” he complimented her, and she smiled with relief. Clearly, she had finally done something right.

“Thank you, Henry,” she said, smiling at the teenager. “That means a lot.”

“What are we doing tomorrow?” Leia asked eagerly. 

She smiled. She had a feeling that Leia would really enjoy the plans she had made for them for the following day. “Well, I thought we might go to the park with Robin and his girlfriend Marian and their son, Roland. He’s right around your age, Leia, so the two of you can play together.”

She was thankful when Leia’s response was positive. She knew that in later years, she might think that boys had cooties (except, perhaps, for Henry, who she suspected would have a role in the little girl’s life for the remainder of her days, especially if she had anything to say about it). However, that phase of a young girl’s life was still many years away, and for that, she was thankful.

“Can you spin us on the merry-go-round and push us on the swings? And can we go on the monkey bars?” Leia asked.

She laughed. “We can do whatever you want, sweetheart. It might depend on the weather too, because it’s supposed to snow.”

She saw Henry frown, and resolved to get to the bottom of the reason behind it, but before she could ask what he wanted to do, Leia interjected with an excited, "it'll be fun no matter what, won't it, Henry?"

"Yeah," he said. His response might have satisfied Leia, but Regina saw his forced smile for what it was: a paper-thin attempt to please that couldn't fool anyone other than children like Leia who were very young. She raised one eyebrow to make him aware that he wasn't fooling anyone except the youngest person at the table. 

He shrugged in response, then distracted Leia with memories from when they were both living on their own, but the look in his eyes gave away that he wasn't happy. Regina was resolved to get to the bottom of whatever was bothering him, no matter what she needed to do to accomplish that.

********

The next day, the three of them met Robin, Roland and Marian at the park right after lunch. While the two youngest members of their group begged the adults to help them build a snowman, Henry walked at a slower pace toward the far corner of the park, where a set of picnic tables sat, ready to be used for a picnic lunch or, Regina thought, as a spot for a teenager to brood.

"What's the matter with him?" Robin asked, frowning at the teenager's back as he walked away from them. He looked good today, Regina thought, his jacket a deep blue that brought out the color of his eyes. It was fitted to his figure too, and she had to tear her eyes away from where she could see his chest rising and falling with each breath he took to answer his question.

"I don't know, exactly," she muttered quietly enough that Leia and Roland wouldn't be able to hear them. "I'm trying everything I can think of to get to know him better, to break down his walls, but nothing is working." She looked at him, and she was sure hers conveyed the desperation she felt. "Is it juvenile of me to say that I just want him to like me? Or at least for us to understand each other better?"

"No, not at all," Robin reassured her. "It's not juvenile to want to help someone, and that's all you want for him: someone to understand and help him."

She sighed, then felt a tug on her coat. She turned to find Leia looking up at her, her puppy dog eyes giving Regina an indication of what she was about to ask. 

Sure enough, "Can you play with us, Gina? Can you build snow forts with us?" was the only thing the little girl asked, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Of course, sweetheart," she said, her heart melting at Leia’s sweet smile. 

She followed her over to where Roland was waiting for them, and for a little while, she forgot about Henry as she and Robin played with the two younger kids. 

Maybe that was the whole problem, she realized as she and Robin helped the two younger children build forts. She always tended to ask Leia what she wanted and never asked Henry for his opinion on something first. She resolved to change that from now on, hoping that making him more of a priority- or at least making him have more equal footing to Leia- would help him open up to her. She just hoped that her plan wouldn't backfire, that he would see her efforts for what they were: an olive branch of sorts, not a way for her to try to suck up to him.

She hoped that her plan would work. In the meantime, she had also told herself that she was going to use this opportunity to get to know Marian, and it seemed that she was just like Henry in that she wanted to remain apart from the rest of the group, even though she and Robin were playing with her son as well as Leia. Regina wondered if she should use that to her advantage and ask the other woman to talk to Henry- after all, she was sitting on a bench looking at her phone, just as Regina imagined the teenager would be doing if he had a phone. However, she knew that sending someone else to do the work that she needed to do herself would get her nowhere. 

After farewells were said and she went home with the two children, it was time for Leia to go to bed. She was about to follow the younger girl upstairs, but Leia's words as her foot landed on the first step surprised her. "Henry, will you tell me a story? Please?"

Her chocolate, almond-shaped eyes met Henry's hazel ones. One of her eyebrows lifted, her way of silently asking him if he would grant Leia's request. She couldn't imagine the sullen teenager reading to a toddler, so she had been reading her bedtime stories before naptime and when she tucked her into bed each night.

He glanced at Regina, his expression illegible. "Yeah, I will," he said quietly, and Regina stepped back to allow him to pass her. As the two of them started to go upstairs, Regina thought about how she could use their mutual love of Leia to her advantage without making it seem like she was trying too hard.

When she heard Henry's footsteps on the wood of the staircase, she prepared herself. Just as she had suspected, he had taken a while to read with her, so much so that one story had likely turned into two, maybe even three. Perhaps that was another way they could bond, she hoped. It was clear that they shared a mutual love of the written word and bringing it to life, and she aspired to use that connection between them to her advantage. 

She walked into the family room, where she found Henry's nose in one of her many books. It was an interesting choice for him, she noted, looking at the cover. She had expected that he would choose something a little more macho- he was a teenage boy, after all. Instead, he was currently holding one of the books she had gotten Leia, one full of fairy tales.

Not wanting to get off on the wrong foot, she began, "Sorry to interrupt. How was storytime?"

"Good," he responded, not looking up from the book he was holding. 

_ Okay then…  _ Regina mused. Clearly, even talking about the little girl that she  _ knew _ Henry adored was going to be a Herculean task.

"Did you read that book to her or another one? Or did you read more then one?" she asked him with a knowing smile. 

His response was a noncommittal shrug. "Since you're always interested in her, I'll tell you that she can never pick just one. So yes, we read more than one story from that shelf full of books you gave her."

She guessed from his tone that he was harboring a little green-eyed monster, so she almost fell over herself to assure him that, "You could have a shelf full of books too if you want. You just have to help me fill it with books you'll like." She ended up saying it in a casual tone, though. She didn't want him to think she was trying too hard.

His eyes darted up to hers at that suggestion, an accusing fire in them. "Do you really think you can buy me off, that if I have a shelf full of books, I'll love you forever like a blind puppy just like Leia does? Because I hate to burst your bubble, but it doesn't work that way. I'm fifteen, not three."

"I know that, so of course I don't think I can just buy your affection," she murmured quietly, a little taken aback by the fire in his words. *I'm just trying to get to know you better so I can help you have the life you want- whether that includes buying things to help make that happen or not."

He sighed. "Even if I did tell you any of those things, you wouldn't understand, so why bother?"

One eyebrow raised to her hairline. "Try me," she challenged. She may not know everything or have experience with every walk of life, but she liked to think that she was a good listener. She wanted Henry to lean on her, but it was crystal clear that that wouldn't happen easily. Hopefully, he was like many boys his age and couldn't resist a challenge.

"Why bother?" he bit back. "I already know you wouldn't understand."

She sighed. He was such a tough nut to crack. "You're right, I may not, but I want to try."

He shook his head and buried his nose in the book once more. Clearly, she was getting nowhere.

Except he was willingly reading a book of fairy tales as a teenager without using a kid as an excuse… "Which one's your favorite?" she asked, gesturing to the book in his hands.

To her disappointment, he shrugged and tossed the book aside. "None of them anymore. I'm fifteen, I'm not a baby."

"I know you're not," she reminded him. "But just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to stop believing in fairy tales. In happy endings."

He sniggered. "Now  _ those _ I definitely stopped believing in a long time ago."

"I can understand that," she mused. She imagined that it was all too easy for anyone his age to not believe in fairy tales if they also had been through the hardships he had. "It doesn't mean you should give up on them though. I promised I would give you and Leia the perfect new home, didn't I?"

He shook his head. "How are you going to do that though? Everyone always wants to split kids up and I'm not going to let that happen. Even if you say you won't, who's to say someone else won't do it eventually?"

"You're right, I can't promise that someone won't do that eventually," she sighed. Suddenly, she realized that she hadn't asked something yet that might get him to open up to her. "How did you two meet?"

The look he gave her was less open than she had hoped would be. All he would say was, "It's a long story."

She made a point of settling into the seat beside him, leaning back into the cushion and resting one of her arms over the top of the sofa. "We have all the time in the world."

His face was skeptical when he looked at her. "You're not going to insist that I go to bed at a certain time?"

She shook her head, hoping that her next words would help ease the tension that radiated off of him in waves. "Some things are more important than going to bed at a certain time." He was a teenager, it was likely that he would just sleep in tomorrow, which was fine with her since it would be Sunday, so he could sleep in as long as he wanted as far as she was concerned. She would just have to make sure that she steered Leia away from his room, which may prove to be difficult, knowing how much the little girl looked up to the boy she saw as a brother.

He sighed. "Fine. I saw her being bullied by older kids, so I went over to stop them and we’ve been close ever since. The end."

Her heart poured out to both kids. It wasn't fair to Leia to have to go through what she had- no one deserved having a bully harass them in any way, especially at such a young age. She was also far too young to stand up for herself, which is why Regina was so grateful to Henry for seeing the situation for what it was and defending her. Everyone needed someone like him in their lives- Robin had been that person for her and she was glad that Henry was like him in that way. She took note of her discovery, hoping that she could get Robin to talk to him and connect with him. It was possible that he would have more luck than she had had with the moody teenager so far. 

At the same time though, she didn’t want to give up on attempting to get to know Henry herself. Maybe she could figure out something that all three of them- she, Henry, and Leia- would enjoy? While that seemed like a Herculean task, she had to believe that it was possible. Despite the fact that he didn’t trust her, she refused to give up on getting to know Henry and convincing him that opening up to her wasn’t a bad thing. 

She finally complimented him, “That was an honorable thing to do. Not everyone has enough kindness in them, or the bravery it takes, to do that.”

He shrugged, ducking his head in embarrassment. She wasn’t sure if it wax a good thing or a bad thing that she had finally gotten to him in some way, but she hoped it was the former.  _ Something  _ had to work, she just didn’t know what exactly that would be yet. 

When he didn’t say anything more for several minutes, she finally squeezed his shoulder tentatively. “I’m going up to bed, but you’re welcome to stay up as long as you want. There’s no school tomorrow, so you can sleep in.”

All she got in response was a curt nod. With that, she turned away from him and walked toward the stairs. As she ascended them, she pondered the new insight she had gained about Henry and wondered if she had in fact made any headway with her goal of not only getting to know him better, but getting him to trust her as well. As she pulled her blankets over her and burrowed into her bed and her eyelids closed, she realized that only time would tell. 


End file.
